In its most precise definition, a " dead country" is a place that once issued postage stamps but no longer does. Harding has used this definition as a basis for a fascinating investigation of world history. Collected in Dead Countries of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries is a telling portrait of global change.

The book is organized as a series of entries for each dead country, arranged alphabetically under fifteen broad geographical headings. These short entries provide wonderfully detailed summaries of the history of the dead countries that fill in gaps and expose the hidden histories of many geographic locations throughout the world. The entries not only detail the creation and makeup of the dead country, but most importantly, describe the significant historical factors that caused its disappearance. Countries that have fractured politically or been absorbed into larger conglomerations are also included as dead countries.

Each entry begins with a literary epigraph that offers a fresh way of thinking about the area in question. Also included is essential reference information such as area (in both square miles and square kilometers), capital city, estimated population, and an illustration of the region's postage stamp that provides a visual reference of the culture. Included at the end of each entry is a list of references that contain additional sources of information.